River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-09-15

turned over 10 WOO sleep again my face |
was toward the door, and saw that the
door was aiar. / rose on my elbow to .
get a better look, and at that instant
the door was pushed further open and
in came the woman. She had a light
AK in her hands, and no sooner had she
made ont that | was awake than she
sprang forward and struck at me with
all her might had no time to study
or calculate. but evaded the blow by
instinct. She struck at my head, and
drew myself downward, with only an
inch or two TO spare. As the blow fell
! twisted myself out of bed, and before
the woman could strike again had her
weigh l6j pounds, aud there are few
men that can Law me on my back. but |
tell you | had to exert myself to con-
Quer that woman. She had muscle and
pluck, and il was not until got good
hold of her throat that she wilted. Our
struggle lasted fully five minutes. and
during all that time Prince was at the
door barking and growing in the most
furious manner. / had Just worsted the
woman when the dog came in by way of
NAAf beAEhA AAbtA anu hotttAA INV ChilAtA&
/ her if had not restrained him. | told
him to stand guard. end then proceeded
to strike light and dress myself.
Il couldn't understand what had be-
come of the husband With the light
/ in one hand and my revolver in the
other, | inspected the back room, but
/ he was not there. | had heard him
pass out, and why had he not returned?
/ looked out IF the baek door, and the
mystery was explained. There lay the
man on the broad of his back, feet
drawn up and arms extended, and he
was dead. / could see no wound, and
/ knew no pistol had been fired. Afler
hesitating a bit sliced hold him and
turned him over, and there in his back,
driven clear mp to the hilt. was a knife.
| did not attempt to pull it out, but re-
turned to the woman. She had recOv-
cred from the choking and was sitting
up, but Prince would permit no further
move. | had torn the pretty clothes
well off her person, and her
hair hung down about her
body, and added to this was the fact
| that her face was all blood. Taken al
together, she was about as hard a sight
a. had ever seen. | had no sooner
entered the room than she began to curse
and revile me, using the most awful
oaths and indulging in the most terrible
threats.
''It was not until daylight that had
a satisfactory explanation. The couple
had determined from the first to muir
der me. About midnight, or as soon
as the storm had passed over me, my
horse was saddled and led out. They
knew | was armed, but heard me snore
in my sleep, and the man had the door
open almost wide enough to admit his
body when Prince came back and awOke
me with his bowling. The man re-
treated, and went out doors to settle
the dog. There was a clothes line
stretched from the corner of the cabin
TO "a tree, and as he was moving rapidly
along this caught him under the chin
and flung him backward. He had the
knife ia his hand, and as he fell it was
twisted about in such manner that he
fell upon it. The woman went out and
found him gasping his last. She knew it
| had come about by accident, and she was
not shocked. On the contrary, she de-
termind To finish me herself and ride
off on the horse. Well, / could have
made her trouble, but didn't. L TIED
her in such away that she could not
release herself for an hour, and then
rode away.
Now. then. to return to the dog.
He acted perfectly natural from the
moment my safety was assured.
If his previous conduct did not come
from an instinct that danger menaced
me, tell me what it was? Didn't he
know the danger better than | did, and
didn't he do everything he could to
warn mer'-NelC York Sun.